The particular blog post is going to center around what NOT to do when you’re trying to build your email list through chiropractic marketing online. Reputation, trust and credibility are very important especially when you’re dealing with potential new patients that come across you or your website for the first time. All of the cards should be on the table… ALWAYS. This is called transparency and must be a top priority in your internet marketing in 2010 and beyond.

While doing a bit of reverse engineering and internet research the other day, I was sent an email similar to the one you’ll find below by a colleague. When I glanced at it, I figured it was a regular tell-a-friend script email where this other doctor had placed mine, and a few others, contact information in a form so he could get a free bonus the list-owner was giving away. The message read something like this:

Hey Matt,

I figured you would like this. It’s called The “Bonehead Letter”
and you can download it absolutely free if you Click Here.

It’s good stuff.

– Dr. Spam Smith

P.S. – If you have any questions, email me at
drspamsmith@gmail.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails,

Click Here.

Tricked You Avenue, Boneheadville, NV 99999

The sample email letter above seems harmless enough, right? Yeah, I thought so as well so I clicked the “click here” text in the email expecting to be able to download my free bonehead letter like the email promised. Much to my surprise, I found that when the subsequent page loaded, it said I had been auto-subscribed to a newsletter. No heads-up beforehand, no transparency, and no word of warning. It appeared the old bait and switch tactic was still alive.

This is a big no no that can land you in some hot water if you’re not careful. I encourage you take this to heart now so you aren’t smacked with a big fine later on. Never auto-subscribe others to your list or swipe emails from your address book or online and assume they want your information. You’ll only ruin your reputation and lose credibility with this way. There are hundreds of respectable, “white hat” ways to attract potential patients or customers that are looking to utilize your services.

I remember when I first began my journey learning about how to use internet marketing for my chiropractic office. I was guilty of employing some of the same exact methods referenced above. Am I proud of this? NO WAY. I pissed quite a few people off and damaged any hope I had of building solid rapport with them.

However, I did learn quickly this tactic was a result of short-term thinking. I found that one of the best ways to have an active, highly responsive list was to cultivate relationships by building trust and giving away content that contained a high degree of use value. You don’t do this by tricking people to opt-in to your email list. Shenanigans like this the stage for an epic failure in your online marketing endeavors.

My email open rates are now (on average) between 32-35%, sometimes much, much higher. If you know anything at all about email marketing, you know that’s exceptional. Open rates like that don’t come by fooling people into getting them to do what you want. When you get things started on right foot, you have the potential to create a raving fan base who can literally become apostles, spreading your message faster than you could’ve ever imagined. These are individuals that pay attention to what you have to say.

If you’re looking to become a respected marketer online and an esteemed business professional, NEVER trick potential customers in your industry / niche into opting into your email list. Trickery does not equal transparency, which is the only way to establish a loyal group of fans that know, like, and trust you.

About the Author

Matthew Loop is an author, speaker, philanthropist, and the highest paid social media revenue strategist in North America. He helps brands, startups, celebrities, and small business owners multiply their influence, impact, and income by harnessing the power of the Internet. Connect with him on Instagram, Twitter and Google+.

Comments

18 Responses to “Chiropractic Marketing Shenanigans to Avoid”

Matt,
Thanks for this info! Since I started following your tips my email list has become so much more responsive and are actually starting to request information from me! How cool is that?
Keep the good info rollin…

As always Matt, great advice. We find that continously building trust increases open rates with very few opt-outs. We have also increased patient education, as they now anticipate good content. We also do periodic offers for our on-line readership and that has worked very well. John

Great info on this posting. I also received the same e-mail, and I understand the frustration. We also have another doc who pulled all our practice info from the chiropractic association and markets all of the time to us, now that she is not practicing and trying to do coaching. It is annoying to be on a marketing list without giving permission to them. Hopefully, your article inspires others to do e-mail marketing the proper way. Creating great content is also a great way to get people to sign up for your newsletter! Thanks for all you do for the profession! Have a great day!

Although I am not a client of yours, I appreciate the gems that I receive from you periodically. Having been in practice for 33 years (pre internet) in the heart of Silicon Valley (gives you an idea of my age), I’m not too internet saavy, but I love the technology. Facebook for me is like opening a Greek textbook. I look at it, read a few lines from friends and shut it down. My 18 year old son is my IT advisor and he doesn’t have the time to manage it for me, but he listened to your free teleconference recently and took some notes for me to incorporate onto my wall.

I plan on playing with this for fun and hope to reach more of my community with good, honest infromation about chiropractic. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your ideas with us.

Matt,
I received two Chiropractic marketing emails in my inbox today. I was pleased to see that you beat Matt Prados to the use of “shenanigans” in your subject heading!

Great advice as usual. Proud to call you a colleague and a friend.
Believe me, I certainly would not be partaking in any type of marketing shenanigans like you mentioned above. Sometimes it is hard to be patient, but yes, with the right intent and good, solid, valuable content, I can understand how the energy we put out will come back to us.

Nice post and reminder to everyone Matt. Think for the long run and follow the Golden Rule! We’re all marketers, but we’re all being marketed to daily as well. Don’t do unto others what you wouldn’t want done to you!

Hi Matthew whats the best way to do this then ? if someone enters their email on a page that offers a free report, they then get the report to their email address and autoresponder mails that they can opt out of receiving. Is there a better way of doing this then ??
Thanks Steve

Great advice. I have seen many people pull tactics like this and I know how annoyed I get.
It is a shame to see people have to do things like this and create bad environment for the rest of us. It always amazes me when people resort to these tactics expecting long term loyalty.

I worked at and office in Orlando that started doing these type things in all their marketing and while it paid off for them in the short term it made everyone that worked there to feel like used car sales men and in actuality many quit eventually and the stress of working that way took its toll on everyone.

I have been using your automated service now for a few months and love the response I am getting and it is good quality marketing. I have been learning a lot also from your blogs that I have implemented into how I approach all my internal and external marketing efforts and it feels good to not only get results but to be in congruence with my core beliefs.

Thank you so much for sharing what you have learned and being open about the successes and failures you have experienced. It’s great to learn this from someone that has been in the same trenches I am in and is willing to share the good fortune.

Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your thoughts, Dr. Jeff! I’m glad you’ve found the information on this blog very useful. It’s also great to hear you’re taking advantage of my done-for-you service. Using that with doing a little marketing consistently on your own can have big pay-offs and get you great online exposure. Continued success 😉